The Chinese word **潜能** (*qiánnéng*, meaning "potential" or "latent ability") is a compound formed through the combination of two meaningful characters: **潜** (*qián*), which means "hidden," "latent," or "submerged," and **能** (*néng*), which means "ability," "capability," or "energy." The formation follows a modifier-head (or *endocentric*) structure common in Chinese, where the first character **潜** descriptively modifies the second character **能**; thus, the compound literally means "**hidden ability**" or "**latent capacity**," effectively conceptualizing the idea of untapped potential that exists within but is not yet fully realized or manifested.